Patients undergoing coronary angioplasty are frequently treated with new drugs that stop blood platelets working and so improve the success of the procedure. Individual patients may vary in the dose of the drug required. New platelet tests have been developed which can be performed near the patient and possibly immediately tell the doctor the degree of platelet inhibition achieved so that the dose can be adjusted accordingly. This study aims to investigate if these platelet tests indicate if new anticoagulants are more effective at inhibiting platelet function than the traditional anticoagulants. The study will demonstrate if these newer drugs improve blood flow through the heart muscle and thereby provide better long term outcomes for patients undergoing percutaneous intervention.

Enoxaparin was administered at the commencement of PCI at a dose of 0.75 mg/kg .

Tirofiban was administered once the wire had crossed the lesion during PCI with a bolus dose of 25 µg/kg of bodyweight, followed by an infusion of 0.15 µg per kilogram per minute for 18 to 24 hours.

Drug: Enoxaparin

Enoxaparin was administered at the commencement of PCI at a dose of 0.75 mg/kg

Active Comparator: 2 tirofiban and unfractionated heparin

Tirofiban was administered once the wire had crossed the lesion during PCI with a bolus dose of 25 µg/kg of bodyweight, followed by an infusion of 0.15 µg per kilogram per minute for 18 to 24 hours.

UFH heparin was administered as a bolus of 70 U/kg and additional heparin was given to maintain the activated clotting time (ACT) at 250

Drug: Tirofiban
Drug: unfractionated heparin

Detailed Description:

Objectives: The study assessed the benefit of high bolus dose tirofiban with enoxaparin compared to unfractionated heparin.

Introduction: The benefit of the use of glycoprotein IIb/IIa inhibitors with low molecular weight heparins in high risk patients undergoing percutaneous intervention (PCI) over traditional unfractionated heparin (UFH) is debated. Methods; The study is a prospective single center open-label trial of patients with high-risk acute coronary syndrome treated with PCI who were randomised to anticoagulation with UFH or enoxaparin with 'high dose' (25 mcg/kg bolus) tirofiban This study measured a panel of platelet activation markers, inflammatory biomarkers and thrombus generation between the two groups.

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years to 75 Years

Genders Eligible for Study:

Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

Yes

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Patients were recruited from those undergoing PCI with a planned placement of an intracoronary stent

As well as one of the following: ECG changes: New or presumably new ST-segment depression greater than or equal to 0.1 mV (1 mm), or transient (< 30 minutes) ST-segment elevation greater than or equal to 0.1 mV (1 mm) in at least 2 contiguous leads

Abnormal cardiac enzymes within the 24 hours before enrollment, defined as elevated Troponin I defined as elevated Troponin I (above the normal reference -High-risk angiographic features that included intraluminal filling defect, angiographically visible thrombus eccentric lesion, type, location in a proximal major vessel and thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow of II or less

Exclusion Criteria:

Increased bleeding risk: ischaemic stroke within the last year or any previous haemorrhagic stroke, tumour or intracranial aneurysm;

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Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00790387